February 4, 2006 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Though he was an accomplished theologian and writer, Bonhoeffer is best known for his resistance to the Nazi regime and his involvement with plots to assassinate Hitler. On April 5, 1943, Bonhoeffer was arrested for his subversive activities and he spent the rest of his life in prison. He was hanged at Flossenberg on April 8, 1945.

The nominees for this year's Oscar awards have been announced, but let's be honest...the awards we really care about are the ones for the worst movies and performances of the year! This year's Razzie nominations have been announced and the masses are waiting with great anticipation to see who will end up at the bottom of the list!

Fred Adams, professor of astrophysics at the University of Michigan and a world-renowned theorist on star and planet foundation, talks about his book Origins of Existence: How Life Emerged in the Universe on Community Access Cable Televison Channel 17 on Tuesday, January 31 at 3:30 p.m.; Thursday, February 2 at 1:30 p.m.; Friday, February 3 at 5:00 p.m.; and Saturday, February 4 at 1:30 p.m. The program was originally recorded in April 2003 as part of the library's 'Booked for Lunch' series, now known as 'Sunday Edition'. Among Dr. Adams' many provocative ideas is that life began inside our planet, not on its surface -- and that the universe exists in a forest of universes in space-time. His talk is also available on VHS Video at the library.

On January 25, 1924, the first Winter Olympics, actually called "The International Winter Sports Week," began at Chamonix in the French Alps. This year the XX Olympic Winter Games will be held in Turin (Torino in Italian), Italy from February 10-26.

Today marks the beginning of the Sundance Film Festival, one of the most well known celebrations of American and international independent film. The Sundance Institute was founded by Robert Redford in 1981 in Park City, Utah. To learn more about the institute and the festival, check out their website.

I know I always look forward to watching the films that gain recognition through Sundance. Check out some of the past winners: